Sixth Matrix
by Covin
Summary: Crossover between the Matrix (pre-RevolutionReloaded) and the Sixth Sense. Unfinished.
1. More Recruits

The Sixth Matrix 

**Part 1: Recruits**

Chapter 1

The man entered the arena with no fear. He was tall, about six feet, a somewhat muscular person, and the kind that you can tell is always serious.

He had one thing on his mind: Mr. Anderson. The human had defeated him. The man shook his head in disappointment. Somehow, that _human_ had killed him. That is, killed him in a sense. Mr. Anderson had fought him and _somehow, somehow_ defeated him.

The 'Agent' shook his head again but continued. These…emotions were distracting. The Matrix had recently downloaded new information that humans do…called 'emotions'. They had been downloaded just three weeks before Mr. Anderson had been…recruited.

The AI walked past the arena, where sweat filled the air and the _smell_. He walked down a hallway and into an office that was hidden by a secret door in a closet. The AI stepped into the office and was immediately stone cold, with no fear or any kind of distraction. 

One of his 'partners' looked at him; slowly, as if gravity was pulling him the opposite way. "Do you have their next target?"

The man looked at his accomplice and replied, "Yes; his name is Traa."

The other Artificial Intelligence officer looked at him and said, "Traa? We've had him monitored for weeks, knowing he was a possibility. After the last few…incidents, AI Command has issued the New Order; no other recruits or we are terminated from the program and will be transferred to the power fields."

The Agent looked at him and said, "Capture him, bug him, and then keep him under full surveillance with SWAT teams. Tell the FBI that he is a possible terrorist interested in bombing the city. Understand?"

"Yes," was the firm reply.

The other Agent, an AI woman, said, "I will monitor him with the SWAT myself." 

The leader gave the slightest nod, moving only a millimeter and the others left the room, as if the nod were a silent dismissal. When they were gone, the Agent sat down on the desk on the single table and sighed. 

"Not this time, Neo. _I _won't work in the power fields."

Knox Singleton 

Age: 14 Hair: Black Eyes: Blue Height: 5' 11'' Weight: 156 

Occupation: Cyber-Hacker 

Connections: N/A

7:34

Knox was walking down the street, moving his head to the beat of a passing car. A black leather coat covered his black shirt; his legs almost sweating in the hot sun as a reaction from the pitch-black jeans he was wearing. He loved the color black; he didn't know why, he just did.

It was his own, unique style. And this one guy he saw, was way cool. In fact, ever since he saw that guy, he had been wearing black. The man was walking into a police headquarters or some building like that (Knox didn't know), and as Knox kept walking, he heard gunfire.

It scared the hell outta' him, but he liked it. It gave him an adrenaline rush. He couldn't explain. 

Knox kept going straight on the sidewalk. He was taking a shortcut today; he was running late for eighth-grade. Not the best of neighborhoods to shortcut through, he thought as he heard a scream in the distance.

He knew some martial arts; he had taken it for a year (his parent's thought it might help his 'potential'). He had made it to red belt before he moved here, to the great city of New York.

Now, every minute he was on the streets, he was on full alert; had to be on full alert. If you weren't you-

Two huge hands suddenly pushed Knox, who happened to be so wrapped in thought, from his right. He stumbled into a dead-end alley and immediately recovered his balance. He had about seven yards in between walls and about another ten yards till the wall at the back of the alley. 

His quick scan told him one thing: nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. _Focus_, he thought, as he tried to remember his karate training. _Relax and your speed can be twice as fast. Focus on your enemies. Be aware of your surroundings._ There was one Dumpster behind Knox. _Probably where I'll be at the end of this._

Knox readied himself, scanning his attackers. Four teenagers, all recognizable from the day before. They had been watching his house from a street corner yesterday afternoon and last night. Knox pulled out a pocketknife and stepped into a horse stance.

The leader of the gang, a boy with blonde-bleached hair, stepped forward and pulled out a short sword from behind his back. Knox though: _oh no._

"Name's Cadge," he said. 

_Huh?_

"You're in our territory. We've noticed you've been here for a few months but never really crossed the line… until today. You need a lesson in boundaries, boy." Cadge somehow signaled the others and they pulled out knives, bats, and one walked over to a trash-can and pulled out a… Knox's eyes widened. 

__

A gun? It looked like a 22, but he wasn't sure because the guy pocketed it quick.

"Don't worry," said Cadge. "We aren't going to kill you; just give you a little lesson."

Knox gulped as Cadge rushed forward. Cadges little sword was more like a dagger, Knox thought as he dodged the slice that would've given Knox a gash in the thigh.

Knox rolled to the left, jabbed up his knife and felt an impact. _Not good…but good._ Cadge stared at a one-inch stab in his upper leg. Cadge yelled in pain the other three rushed Knox. Knox fought hard but in the end, they had him cornered in front of the Dumpster. 

Knox had lost his knife but given all of them a good beaten before it was over. They formed a circle around him and Cadge stepped in, his leg bleeding. "You are a good little kid. Bummer you had to put up a fight." Cadge nodded his head and someone from behind Knox heard the gun's hammer _cha-chink._

"Stop," a voice came from behind the Dumpster. A man stepped out, dressed in all black, his trench coat going to his knees. Knox couldn't see him but three of the gang members took off. They ran away and Cadge tried to but his leg slowed him. 

When Cadge was almost outside the alley, the mysterious figure leapt forward, grabbed Cadge by the shoulder, and swung him back. Cadge flew through the air and landed on top of the Dumpster, rolling off of it. 

He groaned in pain.

Knox couldn't believe his eyes. It was the man that wore all black and…whoa! Knox slowly got to his feet and said, "Tha-a-anks," in a shivering voice. 

The man offered his hand. "Neo."

"Knox Singleton." Knox tried to give a good grip but he was still a little shaken up. _Where did this guy come from? No one was behind the Dumpster earlier._

Neo walked over behind the Dumpster and picked up Cadge by the shirt and looked at the wound on his leg. "Good hit, kid," he said. _Good hit?_ _He's an undercover cop and he's saying I did a good job stabbing someone._

Knox turned and started to run out of the alley, but as if the man was right behind him, the man grabbed his shoulder and whirled him around, saying, "Don't worry. I'm not a cop and you won't be late for school; its going to be canceled today."

_Did he just read my brain?_

But for some reason, Knox felt that he could trust him. After all, he did save his life. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must handle Traa-I mean Cadge."

Neo walked over to Cadge, picked him up, and walked behind the Dumpster. Knox waited patiently for about a minute but Neo still hadn't come out. _What the…_ Knox walked around to look behind the Dumpster and gasped. No one was there.

Neo and Cadge had disappeared. All that was there, was an old pay phone, its receiver swinging in the wind.

Cadge Furrier

Age: 16 Hair: Bleach-Blonde Eyes: Black (contacts) Height: 6'2" Weight: 194

Occupation: Gang Leader

Connections: Knows several places for supplies like ammunition, guns, knives….

8:09

"Let me go you mother fu-," Cadge was yelling.

Neo cut him off. "Be quiet Traa. I have an offer for you." Neo was in a building a few miles from New York City. They had recently learned how to 'tele-port' using phones. Phones were typically used to travel in between the Matrix and the real world. 

Neo discovered a week before Cadge that you could also tele-port to different areas of the Matrix using phones. So far, it had come in handy.

"What the…where are we? How the heck did you get me here?"

Neo smiled. "I have a deal for you Cadge," he said simply.

"Let me GO!"

Neo rolled his eyes behind his dark, untouched sunglasses. "Morpheus is waiting so quit struggling and just calm down."

Cadge thought, _calm down. Breathe Cadge. You've gotten out of worse situations than this._ Cadge looked up and his eyes widened. "How the…how'd we get here?!" _I'm not in New York!_

Neo finally lost it. "Shut up!" After a few seconds he added, "If I let you go, will you run?"

Cadge slowly shook his head. Neo pulled out 50-caliber pistol and said, "If you do, I doubt you'll like the punishment. Understand?"

_I can't believe Morpheus wants a gang leader._ Neo let go of Cadge and Cadge stood up straight, trying to flatten out his clothes and look good. "Now where are we," he asked, a little more quietly.

"A warehouse, a few miles from Manhattan. If-," Neo gestured to a chair, "-you'll sit down, I will try to explain what is going on." Cadge carefully took a seat. It was strange. They were in an empty warehouse with no windows or doors. Only a phone in the corner.

"How did we get in here," he asked.

Neo sat down in the chair facing Cadge. "I think you'll get your answers if you're _quiet._ Let me ask you a few questions first. Why'd you attack Knox?"

Cadge laughed and replied, "That little punk kid? Ha ha. I get it. You are some kind of special cop aren't you? In that case, I'm not tellin' you nuttin'."

Neo nodded slightly, as if it was what he expected. Then he made a face of shock and pointed to an area behind Cadge, saying in a frightful voice, "What is _that?!"_

Cadge jerked his head around, wincing from the stab in his leg. He didn't see anything. "What are you trying to pull," he started to say as he turned around. He stopped when he saw a table in between him and Neo.

And Neo was gone. Cadge looked around, finally getting the feeling that these people weren't cops. Cadge turned away from the phone and-light! Suddenly a light flashed from behind him. 

He whipped around to see another man. He was black, tall. A baldheaded guy with cool looking shades. Cadge raised an eyebrow, saying, "Where did _you_ come from?!"

The man smiled and said, "My name is Morpheus. Where I came from is irrelevant. We are in need of… people, Traa. We-

Cadge cut him off. "Why do you people keep calling me Traa?" 

Morpheus put his hands on his lap and said, "Because that's your _real_ name. Cadge is a name in which a holographic-computer-generated sequence named you. Your real name, Traa, is Traa."

Cadge blinked. "Right." Cadge got a look on his face and said, "And I'm the lead singer of Linkin Park." Morpheus pointed at Cadge's leg. "Does that hurt," he asked, as if he never heard of pain.

Cadge shook his head, thinking about how demented this black man was. "Of course it hurts you stupid black man. Let the hell outta here, I'm gone." Cadge stood up but the pain in his leg almost tripled and blood began to pour. Cadge winced and sat back down.

"Kind of stuck here, aren't we Mr. Singleton?"

Cadge frowned. What was this? These guys sure weren't gang members from anywhere nearby. Cadge's thoughts were interrupted by Morpheus. "That pain is not real."

"….huh?"

Morpheus pointed at Cadge's bleeding leg and said, "That pain is not real. It's a feeling in which you are _told_ to feel. Hit it. Go ahead, hit it."

Cadge gave Morpheus a strange look and hit it…surprisingly, it didn't hurt. "What the…"

Morpheus smiled. "I have…friends in _real _places that would like you to join us. You have obvious fighting skills, you can control your panic well, although your performance earlier didn't help me prove that to others." Morpheus smiled. "But I have an offer for you."

Cadge got a sudden feeling that this guy was telling the truth. He hit his leg again…it didn't hurt. This guy was telling the truth. Cadge didn't understand it but…he had this feeling…

Morpheus held out both of his hands; they were in fists, both palms down. "Now you have a choice because we are running out of time. Would you like to join the reality, or keep living in a…world where your own destiny is already made up."

My own destiny is already made up because whatever is telling me I feel pain _isn't _telling me when I should, Cadge thought. "Whoa, this is freaky."

Morpheus nodded and turned his hands over, revealing one pill in each hand. "The red pill will give you your reality, the reality in which you _are_ living in. The blue pill will erase me from your memory, letting you live each day stuck in a reality where you are told what you feel." 

Cadge's hand trembled. _What do I do?_

Slowly, Cadge reached out for the red pill. No one was going to tell him how to feel. He would control himself and-

BOOM! An explosion filled Cadge's ears and he hit the dirt. Morpheus didn't move. Helicopter noises filled the air and Cadge looked up, seeing a helicopter armed with about twenty missiles…and the roof to the warehouse was gone. "Holy shi-," he started to say when it fired another missile. Cadge's eyes widened and he readied himself for death…but it didn't come.

He slowly looked up and saw the guy named Neo, holding out his hand as if trying to stop the missile. Freaky thing was…that he was stopping the missile. Neo whipped the missile around and shot it back at the helicopter. Two people jumped out as it exploded. Both in tuxedos of some sort, Cadge couldn't tell.

Morpheus was talking. "So Traa, what's it going to be?"

Cadge yanked the red pill out of Morhpeus's hand and popped it into his mouth. He swallowed it and suddenly…everything faded away and….

Cadge lost consciousness.

"Neo, go get the other! NOW!"

Neo turned and looked at Morpheus and replied, "Get outta here. Go now!" Morpheus turned and ran for the pay phone. Neo looked down at the other end of the warehouse. Two agents were calmly walking toward him.

_Great_, he thought. "Sorry guys, got to run," he yelled and they started running at him. Neo looked at the pay phone. Morpheus was gone. Neo ran for it. The two agents were gaining fast. Neo dove for the phone and-

Suddenly everything was green, numbers flashing around and then it was back to normal. "Whoa," he said. He was now in Brooklyn. Close call, he thought. He had tried to take on two agents before and he nearly died. He still wasn't experienced enough to take on two.

Neo stepped away from the phone and onto the streets. The Agents had probably lost track of him but they would find his trace in Brooklyn and by then…he hoped he would have the next recruit. 

"At least Traa was a success," he muttered. He estimated he had about an hour before he would start getting traced and an hour-and-a-half before Agents would be on his tail. Neo slid past people without a problem.

Neo kept going. Where did Knox live? It was fortunate that Traa had decided to hassle Knox this morning. Neo now knew what area Knox would be in. Or nearby. 

Neo turned a corner and walked down a few more blocks. The crowd was thinning out, most of the people hustling to their jobs and teenagers late for schools. Typical New York day. Neo smiled. _Was_ the typical New York day.

As walked down the streets, he passed the alley that Cadge…Traa had first tried to nail Knox. Knox probably went home, a little shaken up, Neo figured. Knox was the first person to be named what his real name was; the Matrix gave him the name Knox and his real name was also Knox. Just one of a few glitches that seemed to be popping up lately.

It has been about three months since Neo first figured out the Matrix. When he read the codes and realized that he could predict what they were going to do. Then Neo wondered why he was _walking_. "Let's fly," he said and read the codes of air.

Slowly he rised up while he focused on reading the pattern and numbers so he could fit in between them. Then, the higher he got, the less numbers there were and he started flying with ease. The Matrix didn't, know that he here until he ran into a pile, of 'cluster' of numbers. Of course, he could just fly all around and have a complete blast…but the Agents would immediately know exactly where he was…and he had a mission right now. 

Neo suddenly realized he was a mile up from the ground. _Oops_, he thought, _got a little distracting._ Flying was the best thing Neo had ever done. He loved it. But right now, it was time for work.

Neo floated down to a building and scanned the buildings around him. Now that he was back on the ground, he could be traced. It was either be traced, which would take awhile for the Agents to find him, or fly, possibly messing up and giving away his exact position. 

And Neo needed all the time he could get. 

Knox shakily bandaged up his cuts and put warm, damp rags on his bruises. Then he sat back and relaxed on the couch. It was a bad day, and he had a feeling it would only get worse.

He flipped on the TV, hoping to find something good. Nothing on the WB…nothing on FOX or ABC… nothing on TV. He turned it off and reached over for his Walkman. He put in a tape that was his favorite; Limp Bizkit, Chocolate Starfish and Hot Dog Flavored Water. He liked it, even though it was a little negative. He turned it up loud.

He listened to once and then put it away, surprised that an hour had already passed by. He removed the now-cold rags on his bruises and limped around the apartment. He walked over to a window, opened it and looked down at the road.

Four or five taxis were in a heap, and a large bus was tipped over. A lot of people were yelling at each other and there were about two ambulances. _Whoa,_ thought Knox,_ I must've really had that music loud._

Then for some reason he looked up, toward the top of the building across the road from him. He saw movement from another building…what the!!!

A man jumped twenty feet from one roof to another. Knox looked a little closer and it was the guy that saved him this morning! What was going on?!

Knox watched as the man jumped onto the roof in front of him. How was that possible? You can't jump twenty feet and clear it…how? Knox started shaking his head. This isn't happening, this isn't happening, he thought.

He stepped away from the window and went to his room. He had a good idea of what that guy looked like. Knox quickly got onto the Internet and went to a government site, govermenthelp.gov or something like that. Knox hacked into the private records of criminals and started flipping through the photographs. 

After what seemed like half-an-hour but was really five minutes he found the man's picture. His name was 'Mr. Anderson'. Also known as 'Neo'. Knox looked up his criminal record. Cyber-hacking/journalism, resisting arrests, and supposed killing of federal agents. Knox raised his eyebrows. A nerd was jumping buildings?

Knox's breath was cut short when he heard a voice behind him say, "Like my record? I can see that you are a lot like me."

Knox slowly turned around on his chair and looked at…Neo. "How did you get in here?"

Neo smiled. He was leaning on the doorframe and replied so nonchalantly that it was almost as if it was his everyday thing. "I jumped over and crawled through the window." Knox blinked.

Neo looked at his watch and said, "Alright, we've got problems bud. C'mon, lets go or your going to be barbecue." 

Knox leaned back in his chair. "What makes you think I can trust you? You jump from roof-to-roof, you disappear. I don't think I like you." Neo snorted. "Right. Well, I _did_ save your life this morning…" He let it hang.

_Uh oh_, thought Knox. _He's gotta point…what the…what am I thinking?! I don't have to what this guy says!_ "Get outta my apartment. NOW," he yelled. Knox dove forward, not sure what he was doing. His fists flew straight and true.

Neo stepped back, surprised. This kid was tough. But if he-

BAM! The bullet came from behind, plowing into Neo's left shoulder-lade. He flew forward from the impact. He hit the floor, his vision switching back in forth from clear, to green numbers. His right arm ran up to his left shoulder as he jumped back to his feet to see what shot him. 

An Agent. _Where there's one, there's more._

Neo read the numbers and jumped forward. He saw the Agent's arm rise and fire the gun. Neo had already read what he was programmed to do. The bullet soared by, missing Knox by an inch and Neo by less. Neo's feet reached the Agent's head in a flying sidekick.

The Agent flew back into the wall and Neo looked at Knox for a second and yelled, "Run!" Neo then dove toward the Agent. They exchanged blows; Neo threw a fist, blocked, Neo ducked and attempted to trip the AI, the AI jumped up and Neo's leg went below him. The Agent counter-attacked, getting a solid-hit on Neo's left shoulder.

Pain soared through him, reminding him that he didn't have much time. The Agent realized his gone was on the floor a few feet away. He dove for it and Neo crescent-kicked him in mid-air. The Agent flew back and out the window. Flying down toward the car wrecks below. 

As it fell, it changed into another human, a technician that had been working on elevators inside the apartment building.

Neo looked for Knox, having to take it easy because his shoulder. More Agents would be there soon. Neo pulled out his cell-phone and said, "I need an escape. The recruit is gone, I was ambushed a few minutes early. I'm wounded so hustle." 

A few seconds later, Tank's voice came over the line, saying, "Alright. I've got you an escape three blocks from there. You better hurry. That new sat-thingy is showing four Agents in that vicinity."

"Okay," Neo said and put the cell-phone away. 

He ran out of the building, aware that an Agent was just down the street walking the opposite way. Neo sprinted forward, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He looked behind him, seeing the patterned Agent turn around to look at him. 

_You can make it Neo_, he told himself. _You can make it you can make it you came MAKE IT!_ Gunshots from behind. Neo hit the concrete sidewalk and rolled a few feet, a few bullets whizzing over him. He jumped back to his feet as bullets hit the concrete where he just was. 

Neo turned right, just as a bullet grazed the back of his neck…it would've gone through his head if he hadn't turned. He charged down that street. As he ran, he got the cell-phone and asked, "Where is it?" 

Tank's voice came on the line. "We've got problems here, Neo. You need to move, NOW! Uh, make a right." Neo turned right, into a dead-end alley. "What now," he asked. 

"Run to the end of it and you'll see a door that goes into the back of a restaurant. Then follow the phone's ringing." 

"Alright," Neo replied. "Oh shi-," came a cry from Tank but the line was cut short. _Uh oh_. Neo reached the door, his heart beating fast, causing him to lose more blood from his wound. He heard the phone and ran through the kitchen, catching mean looks and shouts from the workers. 

As he passed one chef, Neo saw him change into an Agent. Neo saw the phone…_sprint or fight._ Sprint! Neo ran. He heard the banging of pots and pans behind him and people shouting 'hey' and 'watch it'. Neo reached the phone, he picked it up, gunshots………..


	2. Problems

The Sixth Matrix

**Part 1: Enter Neo**

Chapter 2

Neo leaned forward in the chair. He looked around him and saw Trinity, Morpheus, Cadge, and a few other people. Before he could say or do anything else, the ship rocked and he flew out of his chair. He hit the ground and rolled on the floor. Blood gushed from an open wound in his shoulder. 

Morpheus shouted, "Use the pulse, no-," he couldn't finish as the ship was rocked again. Neo rolled around, trying to get to his feet. He left a trail of blood on the floor. His head banged on a piece of machinery as the ship rocked again and…everything went dark…

Tank jammed his finger on the pulse button and the weapon was released, the shock wave rocking the nearby area. After a few seconds, everything was still. Tank sighed and shook his head. They were moving to fast.

Getting too many people too fast. 

He got to his feet and cut off the connection with the Matrix and sighed. Another day done. Got another recruit, but now the ship was damaged. They had six new people, including Traa. Tank got to his feet and walked around the ship.

_Let's see_, he thought, _how the others are._ He walked along the catwalk and after two minutes reached the first new recruit's quarters. _We're also going to run out of spare rooms at this rate; we've only got two more._

Tank knocked on the door, which was labeled 'Caneen'. Caneen (Cu-neen) opened it after a few seconds and said, "Oh, hi Tank. Are you all right? What happened?" Her voice 

Tank sighed. Caneen was like that, all nice and perky. It was obvious mask that she was scared. "I'm fine, I was just here to check on you. Are you alright?" She nodded and replied, "Thanks for asking." Tank nodded and said, "The same."

He turned and continued down the hallway. One door was open and-

"Frain," he shouted and ran to her door. She was lying down in her room, her arm hanging outside the door. She was unconscious, her head bleeding from a gash behind the ear. "Caneen, help me," he yelled, started to lift Frain's limp body off the ground. 

Caneen looked down the hall and when she saw Frain, ran down to help Tank. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," Caneen kept saying. Tank rolled his eyes. "She'll be alright, Caneen. Just help me take her to the Lab."

They shuttled her down to the lab and Tank called for Trinity. When she got there, Tank asked, "Can you fix this?" Trinity had medical info downloaded into her a week or two ago. She walked over to Frain's body, which was now on top of an operating table.

Caneen was sitting in a chair, her hands covering her face. She and Frain had become good friends since they were brought to reality. They had connected and helped each other realize what was really happening.

Now, Caneen was scared that Frain might die.

"She'll be alright," Trinity said. "But she has a small piece of metal stuck in that gash. Tank, hand me some tweezers." Tank did so. 

Trinity bent down so she could see Frain's head better. Slowly and carefully, she got the tweezers into the gash. "Put some 'focals' on me," she said to Tank, without looking at him. Tank got some magnifying glasses that were made for surgery and put them around Trinity's head. Her vision was magnified a few times and she could see the piece of metal clearly. 

She heard Caneen quietly crying for her friend. "Don't worry Caneen," Trinity said in a soothing voice as she clamped the tweezers around the metal. "She'll be okay." Trinity carefully pulled it out. It was about a square-inch long, and as thing as a piece of paper. "Tank, put some 'liquid' on the wound and then bandage it." 

Tank nodded and Trinity hurried out of the room. She had to go help Neo to the Lab so she could fix his shoulder wound.

As Tank bandaged the gash, Frain slowly woke up. Tank gently held her down so she wouldn't jerk away. "What happened Tank," she asked. Caneen jumped up and let out a…some kind of happy shriek. She ran over to Frain's side and asked, "Are you okay?"

Frain asked Tank again, "What happened?"

"We were traced. They sent machines after us…something new, while Neo and Morpheus were in the Matrix…they're, all done. Don't run for a few days okay? We don't want the blood to start bleeding again."

"Thanks Tank," Frain said. Her voice was gentle, very calm, as if she didn't have any energy. 

Caneen and Frain started talking on their way back to Frain's room. Tank was about to leave the Lab when Trinity and Morpheus rushed in, carrying Neo's unconscious body. _What the_, Tank started to think when Trinity suddenly shouted, "Tank, we've got more of those things coming our way. Get the ship out of here and then pulse them."

Tank nodded and ran for the pilot seat. It was on the-

BOOSHUUKKK! 

Tank flew forward into a wall…his thoughts beginning to fade. His last thought was, _that was the sound of the engine…_

Down the hallway a teenage boy, about 13 years of age, stepped out of his room and saw Tank's unconscious body. The boy had been there for about a month, and he was Tank's substitute. Immediately, the boy ran down the hallway. The ship rolled from another explosion. The boy kept running.

He reached the cockpit and jumped into the lead chair. He activated the engines…they were off. He heard a girl scream from behind. He looked behind him and saw Caneen, running toward him. "Get to your room," he yelled and she turned and ran for her room. 

Zone turned back to the controls. "Think Zone," he told himself. He hit the 'engine' button again. They didn't respond. "This isn't good," he said, then looked through the cockpit's window. A huge machine was shooting toward the ship. It was different than the other machines. This one was shaped like a serpent, flying through the tunnels straight at him.

It was obviously armed with all sorts of weapons. 

"This isn't good," Zone said again and starting flipping various levers and switches. "Come on, come on," he said as he flipped more. Then he heard a deep voice from behind him. Morpheus. "Move over Zone." 

Zone jumped out of the chair and Morpheus slid into it. Morpheus hit a few more buttons and then punched the engine button. The engines fired up, and they burst toward the serpent-thing at a tremendous acceleration. "Whoa," cried Zone as he fell back, flying out of his chair. 

Morpheus flew straight for the robot, then at the last second, yanked the controls up and away before the serpent could fire its torpedoes. Morpheus maneuvered down the sewers, heading deep for the magnetized area. 

The serpent turned around and pursued them. "Just a few more seconds," Morpheus whispered as he turned down another tunnel. He flew down and the ship started shaking violently. _Taking hits_, thought Morpheus. Then he turned through another tunnel and yelled out, "Ha, ha! We made it!"

The serpent tried to follow but it was repelled. Magnetism. The whole area was magnetized. Only certain metals, or ships, could get in. Morpheus looked at Zone and said, "Good job. If you didn't think that quick, we all might've died." With that, Morpheus got out of the seat and went back to the Lab to help Trinity with Neo.

Zone smiled.

Zone

Age: 13 Hair: Brownish/Blackish Eyes: Brown Height: 5'7" Weight: 103

9:45 PM

They were in the 'rest place'. It was a new room, added a couple weeks ago. It used to be weapon storage but…lately they've needed a lot of weapons.

Morpheus had called a meeting there tonight. Everyone was there; the six new people, Morpheus, Neo, Trinity, and Tank. Anybody that wasn't there had watch in the main cockpit.

Zone was a little anxious. He was afraid that he had messed up when he tried to handle the situation earlier in the day. Hopefully it would be something good about him…he also hoped Frain would be okay… 

"Listen up everyone," said Morpheus, snapping Zone out of his deep thought. "This is Traa," he said, gesturing at the new bald guy. He wouldn't be bald for long, Zone thought. Trinity had discovered recently that if you use an EMP pulse pistol on someone's head, the hair would grow very fast for two days. She discovered it by accident.

"He used to be a gang leader," Morpheus said. _A gang leader? What is Morpheus doing?_, thought Zone. He noticed Caneen's face darken. "But with his skills, his experience-," Caneen snorted, "-he will be a valuable ally."

"Traa, this is Neo, as you have met." Neo nodded at Traa and Traa's eyes widened. He started to say something but Morpheus continued introducing, "That is Zone. This is Caneen-," Caneen glared at him, "-she is Frain, this guy here is Jakek, and last but not least, this young man here is Ronin." Ronin nodded so lightly that Zone couldn't tell if he did.

"Traa, we realize that…this is a…shock," Morpheus continued. "Ask Zone, ask Caneen, Frain, Jakek, or Ronin. They were just brought back to reality in the past two months. Zone was the first of you young people." Zone smiled. He remembered the Matrix. He hated it, he wished that he was born with the truth.

But he wasn't. 

Another few minutes went by as Morpheus talked about his plans for the next few weeks and precautions about the new equipment that a scout ship from Zion would be delivering soon. Morpheus wished so bad that he could go to Zion but…Zion didn't want any more attention to be attracted to it. After all, thought Zone, Zion is under siege at the moment.

The meeting broke up and Traa/Cadge left the room. He went straight to his room, closed the door, and just laid down on the bed. 

Zone had followed him but hadn't had a chance to really meet him. He put his ear to the door and heard him…_crying?_ Zone nodded to himself; it was definitely crying. But then again, you couldn't blame him. He had just found out his whole life was a fake, a fake while his body was producing thousands of watts of energy…

Zone remembered crying the first time he found out he was a fake too. It wasn't the best feeling…Zone went to his room and tried to sleep…but couldn't for a long time, for fear of nightmares…

Frain

Age: 13 Hair: Blonde Eyes: Hazel Height: 5'5" Weight: 86

11:56 PM

Frain said goodnight to Caneen and entered her room and shut the door behind her. This 'Traa' boy…he couldn't be trusted she thought. No way. 

Frain winced as an ache that had been bothering her all day returned to her head. 

She shivered when she remembered what a gang had done to Caneen once…no doubt Caneen wouldn't be sleeping tonight. Hopefully Traa will go into the Matrix and never want to come back…hopefully. 

Frain shrugged and started changing into her nightwear (extra long, thin cloth-pants and a huge, thin cloth-shirt) and tried to change the subject. _Caneen told me that Zone had saved her life earlier. _Frain frowned and paused. _I hope not; Zone is kinda' cute._

Frain giggled at her thoughts and finished changing. 

She got into bed and tried to think of happy and quiet thoughts…thoughts that would help her go to sleep…but all she could think of was Caneen. She was probably crying and trying not to think about Traa. 

After a few minutes, Frain silently got out of bed and walked through the darkened hallways to Caneen's room. Frain nodded when she heard quiet sobs from inside the room. Frain softly knocked and heard a muffled 'go 'way' from inside. Instead, Frain entered and closed the door behind her.

There was Caneen, her head hiding in her arms as she lay on the bed, crying. Frain felt an immediate dagger of sorrow enter her heart. She and Caneen had been best friends since they were pulled from the Matrix and it hurt to see Caneen crying like this. 

Frain went and sat on the edge of the bed, softly whispering, "It's okay Caneen. Traa isn't pure evil like…otherwise Morpheus wouldn't have brought him back. Don't worry."

After that, silence filled the room. There was a hollow emptiness in Caneen; one that Frain couldn't quite reach. She had known that something bad had happened to Caneen in the Matrix before she was brought back to reality…but she could never say it. 

Frain softly ran her hand through Caneen's hair, humming a soft tune that her 'mother' used to sing to her. In about an hour, Caneen had cried herself to sleep, leaving Frain to cry with her sadness, because when a best friend is hurt, so is the other.

Frain, after awhile, left Caneen and went back to her own room. 

Once there, she lay down on her bed and fell asleep almost instantly…

It seemed like only a few minutes later that she had gotten back. Rubbing her eyes, she felt tired and she had the urge to use the bathroom. Frain got to her feet and left her room, slowly walking down the hallway. She was about halfway there when she ran into somebody taller than her, a man.

No, not a man. Traa.

Frain gulped and said, "Excuse me," then tried to get by him. He blocked her way, an impure grin on his face. Frain tried to relax as panic began to come over her. "I need to go to the bathroom," she whispered.

Traa looked at her face in a strange way, then sidestepped, letting her pass. Frain silently breathed a sigh of relief and walked past him, very fast. She didn't see him on the way back…

Caneen

Age: 14 Hair: Black Eyes: Blue Height: 5' 6" Weight: 106

10:10

"Well, here goes," Caneen said nervously. 

Frain giggled for no reason. "Our first trip into the Matrix."

Morpheus was almost smiling. Almost. "Are you sure you understand, Frain and Caneen?" They nodded. "Okay. In that case, Tank, put us in—," Morpheus turned to Zone, "—and you make sure that you listen to _every _word Tank says. Okay?" Neo came in and sat down in one of the chairs.

Zone nodded and Frain smiled. He was so…cute when determined.

Morpheus turned back around, sat in his chair and said to Frain and Caneen, "Try to relax." Frain tensed and Caneen closed her eyes. 

It seemed like a second later that a sudden knife stabbed into her back and she opened her eyes to scream but the pain was gone and she wasn't on the ship…she was in an old room. An old hotel room from the looks of it.

Caneen raised an eyebrow and then it hit her. _I'm in the Matrix. _ She walked over to a bed and put her hand on it. It felt so real, so soft. "Wow," she whispered.

"It's amazing, isn't it," came Morpheus' voice from behind her. She jumped and whirled around to find Frain and Morpheus watching her.

She nodded. "Yes. It feels just like the one back on the ship, only softer. And—," Caneen sat on the bed, "—I feel the same feelings too. As if it were real."

Morpheus nodded. "And so do all the other people that are forever stuck in the Matrix. It is a sad thing, isn't it? That they don't know the real world, that they don't know the truth in which they haven't been told." 

Frain was looking out the window that Caneen had missed. "And what year is this? In the Matrix?"

Morpheus thought for a second and said, "Year 1999. Shouldn't you know that? The end of the millennium is coming…at that time, we will take as many people as we can. Because soon—very soon—the farms are going to start dying. Many of the people that are in the farms were bred in a certain year-to-two years. When this begins, many people will die. I want to take those people, that aren't aware they are going to die, and tell them the truth and _awake _them…but until then, no more."

Caneen listened with marvel at Morphues's plan. He continued, "Until then, we are going to begin to remodel our ship and add to it, adding more weapons and pulses, but at the same time increasing the space."

Frain groaned and Morpheus grinned his teeth-gapped grin. "I believe Frain realized what that meant. It means: work."

Caneen rolled her eyes. "Great. I thought we get out of the Matrix so we can _stop_ working."

Morpheus laughed. "But what you do now will help us later. Help us a lot. So anyway, enough talk and let's get to work. I'm to show you what an Agent looks like, for future reference."

Caneen froze. "I thought that…I thought that we were coming in to learn how to manipulate the Matrix!"

Morpheus smiled again. "Exactly."

Caneen's breathing started to get a little panicked. She'd seen Trinity screw around with agents…and Trinity was a master. She had also seen Neo do it, but he shouldn't count since he was a chosen one.

Morpheus, in his all black clothes and trench coat, led them out of the room and to an elevator. As he walked he was saying, "An Agent will and can take the form of _everyone_. And that means that everyone is your enemy. Not an enemy in which you hurt, but an enemy in which you are aware of."

They passed another hallway in which there was a man that looked drunk was in.

Caneen listened to Morpheus. She had heard the lecture before…but something didn't feel right. 

Suddenly, Morpheus's cell phone rang. Morpheus immediately stopped and reached into his pocket, pulling the phone from its place. "Hello?"

Caneen strained to here but couldn't make out what they were saying. Morpheus suddenly yelled, "_WHAT?!_" Then he whirled around and yelled at Caneen, "Duck!"

Caneen instinctively dropped to the floor. 

She felt wind over her and she looked up to see a man in a suit flying over her in a jump-kick that probably would have broke her back. Morpheus said something into the phone and then put it away. 

"Caneen, Frain, RUN!" 

Caneen turned to run but something hit her, air was knocked from her lungs. She stumbled to the floor, aware that Frain had fell on top of. Caneen struggled to get up, hearing grunts and rough 'bams' of contact. A fight was going on behind her. Caneen looked back as she got to her feet, just in time to see Morpheus get blown back by a huge hit. Morpheus flew through a half-broken wall behind him and the Agent turned.

Caneen screamed and started running, Frain was already, somehow ahead of her. Caneen saw the hall turn ahead of her but she couldn't slow down in time—

CRASH! 

Caneen flew through the wall, her momentum driving her through two walls. She fell into another room, someone watching TV was yelling 'get out'. Caneen got to her feet and ran. She didn't look back…and when she did, the Agent grabbed her arm and whipped her around. Caneen's feet got tangled and she fell to the ground.

"Leave me ALONE," she screamed. She started to get up but gunfire sounded and she stayed on the floor. She looked ahead of her and saw Neo, two guns at his side blowing smoke. Caneen looked back at the Agent and saw the mixed look of fear and determination. 

The Agent hesitated and Neo took advantage. 

Neo dove forward, jump-kicking the Agent. The Agent started to move out of the way—and did—but Neo clotheslined the Agent. He fell to the ground and Neo fell to the ground and rolled. Neo jumped up to his feet while the Agent was just getting up. 

Caneen was speechless. Neo had done all that in about two seconds…, "_How…?_"

Neo smiled and kicked the Agent in the face. The Agent flew _up_ from the impact, not back, but _up_…into the ceiling. After a second in the ceiling he fell back to the floor. Caneen was on her feet now, ready to run. 

_Morpheus._

She turned around to go and see if was okay. "Caneen," came Neo's call from behind. She turned just in time to see him throw something at her. She caught, almost dropping it…it being a gun. A nine-millimeter Swiss & Wesson…

She looked up at Neo; he was blocking the Agents' moves. As he jumped up and kicked him he yelled, "Just in case!" 

"Right," she said and turned to run…

Neo watched her go. "Just you and me, Agent." The Agent was on his knees, his nose gushing with blood, the mouth the same. The Agent mumbled something about death and Neo shook his head. "Nope, I'm not going to die…_you _are!" With that Neo grabbed the AI's hair on the back of his head and smashed his knee into his head.

The Agent fell back, parts of his skull causing multiple brain bleeds. Neo looked down at him with no visible emotion. No visible emotions except hate…and no regret. Neo walked past the Agents' dying body and called out for Caneen. 

"I'm in here," came a muffled reply. Neo followed the sound of her voice into a room, where she was being held very roughly by an Agent…the same Agent he had just disabled. 

Neo sighed. "Let go of the girl and we can fight."

The Agent snorted and said, "Make any rash moves and her neck is snapped."

Caneen had tears running down her cheeks. She wasn't making any noise but the tears flowed freely. She was scared to death and closer to death than she thought. "Neo, hel—," she started but the Agent choked her for a few seconds and she was quiet. 

Neo slowly raised his hands, revealing the empty palms. "Unarmed Agent. Kill me, as long as you let her live."   
The Agent smiled and said, "Turn around, slowly, and put your hands on the back of your head."

Neo did. The Agent smiled his evil, but blank smile and drew a gun. He threw Caneen off to the side and she shrieked, "No! Neo don't!"

Neo did. The Agent took aim. Caneen had to stop him but she couldn't physically fight him; he was too strong…_DAMN! WHAT THE HELL DO I_—

Her eyes fell on the gun that Neo had given her a few seconds ago. It was on the floor a few feet away. She dove for it, grabbed it, raised it and two gunshots rang at the same time. The Agent fell back, dead. Neo wasn't anywhere…Neo walked into the room, examining his shoulder. It had a small cut, where the bullet had grazed him.

He looked at her and she dropped the gun, crying. The Agent wasn't there anymore, the Agents body replaced by an older man's body. She had killed that man. _I'm a murderer…just like that damned Traa!_

Neo gently brought her to her feet and walked her back to the room where they had entered the Matrix. Morpheus was in there looking at his rib cage; it was severely bruised, its purplish color looking strange on his skin.

Morpheus didn't say anything, just raised his cell phone and talked into it.

Caneen didn't hear the words, didn't even notice that Frain was in the room. All she could think about was the fact that she had pulled the trigger………


	3. Cole

The Sixth Matrix

**Part 1: Recruits**

Chapter 3

Neo examined the wound on his shoulder. It stung badly, but at least it wasn't bleeding. He also had a graze on the back of his neck, but that was bandaged. Trinity looked at Neo as sat up, getting up from the chair. 

"You okay," she asked quietly.

He nodded yes, just to satisfy her. No, he wasn't, but he didn't want to worry her. Besides, he really didn't know what to say or do—love was never his thing. Computers were, but not love. Love was…new.

Trinity mentally smiled at his nod. It was just what she liked in him. He was shy but eager. "Is Caneen recovering okay?"

Neo shook his head no. "She hasn't talked since she took out the Agent. I'm glad Smith wasn't there. I'm so tired…" Anytime Neo sees the pattern while he's in the Matrix, exhaustion creeps upon him in such a way that he almost falls asleep. It's terrible and takes a lot out of him. 

"Get some sleep Neo," Trinity said, wiping her bloodstained hands on a cloth. 

Neo got and gladly obeyed her. On the way to his room, he bumped into Caneen. "You okay," he asked quietly. She glanced up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. "I killed him," she whispered. 

Neo nodded and said, "But it was the right thing. You saved my life. I was too tired to handle it."

Caneen only turned her back on him and continued walking away. She was drifting away from the group, and it was the first time she had talked since they had come back. Neo sighed. Were her emotions good? The first time he had killed someone in the Matrix, he had had no regret…was that bad?

Neo shivered. If he couldn't tell right from wrong, what would happen to him?

Neo walked to his room and closed the door behind him. Less than five seconds later he was on his bed sleeping…

Frain shook her head. "Why? I've had enough…" She bit her lip, hesitating. "I _hate _the Matrix. I don't want to go back."

Morpheus sat down in a chair and said quietly, "I understand. The Agents, the AI, aren't the best of friends…but you _must_ understand. You must know how because if someone here dies then—"

Frain almost exploded. "NO! We are gonna die!! You don't see it because of Neo, the _one_, the 'savior of the peoples'. That is a load of bull_shit_."

Frain calmed back down and sat down in a chair behind her. 

Morpheus sighed. "Frain, I brought you out of the Matrix so you could see the truth and help others see it. It's _our_ mission, our destiny—," he stopped as Frain started yelling again.

"NO!! _I _decide MY destiny! Not you or some machine! ME!"

With that, Frain marched out of the room and ran to her quarters, to think about her life…the one she used to live. 

Morpheus sighed. She had to go back. They had to find more recruits and Frain had to see the Oracle. If she didn't see the Oracle soon, she might not ever. The Oracle was getting old. Caneen, Zone, Jakek has, and Ronin has too. 

Then a thought hit Morpheus. Perhaps Zone should go in, so that he could—when he took Tank's place—could see the Matrix from both sides. Not being in two places at the same time but knowing how it works and how to handle panic, since he's been there.

Morpheus nodded and also knew that Jakek hadn't been there for awhile too, nor Ronin. They would have to go again. Morpheus got up and went to find Tank.

After a few minutes of walking around on the Neb, Morpheus found Tank in the cafeteria, looking out a window at the sewers of the cities they ran beneath. When Tank heard Morpheus come in, he turned and said, "Hey! Whatcha' need?"

"Get the computers ready for tomorrow morning. Tomorrow, Neo, Jakek, Frain, Ronin, Traa, Zone, Trinity, and I will go to the Matrix. That is, if those new chairs are set up."

Tank smiled and said, "They are—well, they'll be by the end of tonight."

Morpheus put an arm on Tank's shoulder and said, "That's great Tank, but make sure you get some rest. It'll be a long day tomorrow." Morpheus left Tank in the cafeteria and went to tell Jakek. 

Morpheus knew where Jakek would be. Jakek was always in his quarters, either working out or sleeping. He was always there if he didn't have a task assigned to him. And Morpheus couldn't recall giving Jakek any jobs today so…

"Jakek?" Morpheus knocked on the door. He heard heavy, out-of-breath breathing from inside the room. A few seconds later, the door swung open, revealing Jakek. He was covered in sweat, his muscles bulging with intensity. Jakek hated being weak; he said he felt as if he were on drugs when he couldn't lift certain things. 

"Sir?" Jakek's father was a general in the military, a very strict, disciplinary man. His traits were passed onto Jakek without a single flaw. 

"We head to the Matrix tomorrow. Be ready."

Delight temporarily crossed Jakek's face. He covered as best and fast he could, but Morpheus could still see it. "We are going to take Frain to the Oracle and you and Ronin will be 'scanning'. Sound good?"

Jakek nodded, sweat glistening on his forehead.

"Good." Morpheus turned and left him. Tomorrow would be another day…another day. Morpheus went to his quarters and tried to sleep as fast he could. 

The man snapped awake and looked around. He was still there, glad to see that he was. He wasn't sure why he hadn't left yet. He'd seen the light. The light that so many people clamed appeared when you died. But there was more to it than 'the light'. No, there is life after death, and he was living it.

He got to his feet and went down the stairs, seeing a desk in front of his door to the basement, the door having a red handle. 

He saw his wife making herself some eggs and he said, "Hey baby." She didn't turn and reply. She didn't make any notion that she heard him…because she didn't. He was dead, his ring on a necklace around her neck. 

But he said hi, asking how she slept, even though she would never answer. 

He went outside and before stepping down the street, glanced at his chest. The blood was there, unmoving, yet as real as…death. He winced at the sight of it but at the same time had grown used to it. But it wasn't every day you could glance down at your lower stomach and see a gunshot wound…well, _it really was every day_ that he saw it, but…

His name was Dr. Malcolm Crowe. Was.

Now he was dead. Yes, dead. Un-living, yet living. He was…a ghost. He actually had been for a long time, but was unaware of it for a long time. 

Malcolm started down the street, making his plans for the day. Even though he was a ghost, he was learning things. Until he'd actually…die, he would watch his old patients. And today, he would watch—and talk to—the patient that saved and changed his…_life_. 

Dr. Malcolm Crowe was going to go see Cole.

Ronin heard the news from Jakek a few minutes later. Ronin had been working out too; they both made a bet that the other couldn't do 2,000 push-ups in one night. Ronin had hit 1,200 a minute ago and was taking a small breather when Jakek came. They were friends; they were both lone wolfs so they understood each other.

"What is it?"

"It's Jakek. Morpheus has a mission." A pause. "A Matrix mission."

That got Ronin's attention. He hadn't been inside the Matrix since he had seen the Oracle; he had mainly been working on the Neb, trying to help Morpheus get ready for the upcoming year 2000 ball. They were gonna get a lot a people then. 

Ronin got up and opened the door and said, "Good. When?"

"Tomorrow morning." The simply reply was enough. Ronin was about to shut the door when Jakek smiled his rare smile and said, "What are you on?"

Ronin almost glared at him but said, "Twelve-hundred."

Jakek's eyes widened with surprise. _Damn. I haven't even hit a thousand yet. Ronin is getting strong and fast. Pretty soon he'll be able to take me out without a problem_. Jakek and Ronin fight/spar a lot. They consider it practice for the Matrix since they started taking the Matrix's glitches for granted and got lazy. 

The door shut and Jakek returned to his room. He got down and started doing more push-ups. _Finally…another mission._

Back in Ronin's quarters, Ronin had sudden energy overpower him. He continued his push-ups and as he did, he thought about Frain. She was…simply beautiful. She couldn't be prettier…and her happy mood always brought out the most of him, the parts that he kept hidden all the time. And now she was going to see the Oracle. About time…

Traa frowned at the ceiling. Things were crazy. These people were crazy. The whole damn idea of 'the Matrix' was crazy. How? How did these AI take over the world? We humans are smart; we could've beaten 'em.

Traa frowned. _And the bastards always call me 'Traa'. My name is Cadge._

The word got around that he was going into the Matrix tomorrow. He didn't want to. He didn't want to see some woman called the 'Oracle'. Those people are only in movies and books and fairy tales…but then again…_my whole life was a fairy tale…_

Traa sat up, thinking. These people weren't crazy; they were just trying to do the right thing…_if this is a dream, it's a really long one._

Cadge sighed and laid back down. His life had become a freak show…a _true_ freak show. 

Tank banged on the keyboard. "DAMN!" The four new chairs' wires got messed up. A rat had eaten at them, and though the rat was electrocuted, the four new chairs had to be re-wired. But they still had the originals. 

Tank shook his head. Morpheus would be disappointed. But that's okay.

Tank sighed and went off to bed. No use in trying to fix the wires; it would take about two days of full-time work. Tank tried to be optimistic but…, "_Damn_," he muttered on his way to bed.

Jakek woke up the next morning very sore. His arms ached with tiredness. He got to his feet and swung them onto the cold metal floor below him. He winced as the coldness stung his feet. But he moved on, getting dressed for the day and heading over to the cafeteria. 

Morpheus was already up, quietly nursing some food. Well…not exactly food. Just a bunch of vitamin supplements turned into shitty looking liquid. "Hey."

Morpheus looked up at him and said, "Good morning Jakek. You ready for the day?"

Jakek nodded. And then Morpheus said in a quiet voice, "There has been a change of plans. The new chairs aren't fixed—a rat chewed through wires—and it's just gonna be you, Ronin, Neo, Frain, and Zone. Is that okay?"

Jakek didn't really care but figured he should show that he did. "Trinity isn't coming?"

"No."

Jakek shrugged and said, "That's okay. When do we start?''

"When everyone is up and ready to go—," Morpheus glanced at a sun-clock and said, "—about an hour or two. And by the way, Jakek, do you think we have enough new recruits?" Jakek nodded, showing that he they did and Morpheus nodded in agreement, then Jakek left to wake up Ronin. 

On his way, Jakek thought about the people that were going. _Ronin and I are gonna have to do something. I feel it._ He did; sometimes he just felt that something new would come up and take him by surprise. _Neo is coming, of course, probably to protect Frain in case some Agents come up. Now _that_ would be cool._ Jakek was an action freak.

Even though Neo was 'the one', Jakek kicked his butt the first time they sparred. Jakek had been in the martial arts since he was three, so he had lots of experience, especially when his dad dragged him over to the Persian Gulf War; several of 'the enemy' tried to take out the General and his son while they were there. 

Jakek just had the talent _and_ more than enough experience. 

_Zone is coming…that little punk kid better not screw things up this time. _Last time Zone went, he panicked and shot the phone booth in which they were to escape while four Agents were on their tales. _That little kid doesn't know what he's doing. And he had better leave Frain alone. _

Jakek banged on Ronin's door and yelled, "UP!" Ronin snapped awake and winced. The pain in his arms was worse than he thought it would be. Jakek left for breakfast while Ronin got dressed. When Ronin was ready, he went down to the breakfast room and found Morpheus eating quietly, Jakek in a corner almost done with his 'soup'. 

Ronin got himself some of the nutrient-fluids and got his morning share of the supplies. "So Morpheus, when do we go in and who's coming with us?"

Morpheus replied with out looking up. "You, Jakek, Neo, Frain, and Zone. In less than ten minutes." Jakek looked up, a startled look on his face. He quickly regained his typical unreadable expression but the surprise was still evident.

Ronin figured he would push to see what was up. "Why the sudden change? Why are we leaving so soon?"

Morpheus smiled and looked up at him. "I've had a vision. Jakek will brief you on what's happening—," Morpheus stood up and started out of the room, "—I am going to wake the others."

Ronin turned to Jakek. "What's up?"

Jakek shrugged and said simply, "I dunno; we were leaving in an hour a few minutes ago and now we're living in less than ten minutes." Jakek then turned back to his food.

Ronin sighed, knowing that Jakek wouldn't go any further. Not feeling hungry for a bowl of bland water, Ronin left the cafeteria and walked back to his quarters to stretch. He stretched everyday, in the mornings in particular because—

"Ronin, get ready. We leave now."

It was Morpheus, at the other end of the hall. Morpheus turned around the corner, heading to Frain's room.

Ronin went into the 'download' room and found Tank desperately typing on the computers. "What's wrong," asked Ronin.

Tank jumped and replied, "The Matrix is activating a new trace program. We didn't know that it was already up; we thought it wouldn't be in for at least a another month but…it will be able to trace the connections up to where we are, so they can send Sentinels to rip us apart."

Ronin got into a chair and closed his eyes, focusing on the rules of the Matrix; the rules that could be bent and the rules that could be broken. He blocked out all other sound and sight, focusing on nothing but the Matrix.

When his eyes opened, Frain, Neo, Jakek, and Zone were all in chairs around him, ready to go. Tank was loading them in. Ronin leaned back and tried to relax as Trinity shoved the needle-wire into the back of his head. Two seconds later, he was in the Matrix, dressed in black leather pants and a shiny leather trench coat; he liked the outfit that Morpheus always wore and chose it for himself too. 

Frain was dressed in solid white clothes, her white silk shirt accompanied by white pants that Ronin couldn't tell what kind of cloth they were.

Jakek was in his usual attire; a black muscle shirt with black sweatpants. Jakek preferred flexible clothing since he used martial arts a lot more than guns. "What's our mission," he asked Morpheus.

Without looking at Jakek, Morpheus kept on arming various pistols and machineguns while replying, "You and Ronin are going to go on a manhunt. You will seek out a child named Cole."

"…And?"

"That's all I know," replied Morpheus. "The rest of us are going to the Oracle. We'll be back soon so return here in four hours. Understood?"

Ronin and Jakek nodded, Jakek saying, "Move out." The two exited the old building, which seemed to be a warehouse, and started jogging down the populated streets of Philadelphia. Then they saw them; two motorcycles that probably had a good horsepower and could be easily ridden. Ronin spotted the owners going inside a nearby restaurant.

Without saying a word, Jakek and Ronin climbed onto the bikes, Ronin dialing Tank up on a cell phone. 

"Operator," came the familiar voice on the other end.

"Tank, I need to know how to hotwire a—," Ronin leaned over and checked what kind of motorcycle it was, "—a Yamaha model 921. It's sleek and colored black…just in case."

In a few seconds, Ronin and Jakek's started twitching and immediately they knew what to do and exactly how. Jakek leaned over, unscrewing the screws that covered the engine top with his pocketknife and examining the engine. He then reached in, found the red and ignition wires and cut them both. Then he connected them and the engine started up.

Exactly a second later, Ronin's bike started up and they were off, driving quickly though the populated streets. As they rode, Ronin called Tank and asked for a list of addresses of current residents in Philadelphia. About thirty seconds later they had it and were looking up for Cole in their heads as they drove. 

There were three 'Coles'. Jakek and Ronin pulled over and Jakek said, "I'll take the one that's on…close to the Cathedral." Ronin thought for a second and said, "Fine. I got the other two." Then they both revved their bikes and sped off in different directions. 

Lynn Sear said, "I love you Cole. Goodbye," and went out the door. Cole waved and said, "Bye Mom." She smiled back at him and got into her car and drove off to her Saturday job. 

Cole shut the front door and looked around at the house. It was a wreck…a very bad night last night. Cole had the marks to prove it on his back and arms. But he had done it again. It was the sixth one. The sixth ghost he had helped. 

It was scary. He was going to go get a snack in the middle of the night when he felt cold and a second later, fingernails raked his back. It was the woman that used to live there. She had cut her wrists a few years ago…

Cole screamed but quickly recovered; though he was bleeding. And then, somehow, the woman just fell to the ground, crying, weeping over whatever problems were on her mind…and after Cole talked to her, she left, saying sorry she had hurt and him and promising she wouldn't return.

Cole was proud. 

He had helped six people…the first being the psychiatrist that never knew, the sixth being the woman last night…all in all, it was getting better. More and more painful, but he was learning how to keep calm and not be afraid of blood, since most of the ghosts were dripping with it. 

Cole turned on the TV, flipping the channel to some cartoons. There was a show called 'Gundam' and a show about Bugs Bunny…Cole watched Gundam for a few minutes. It was strange; he had never seen it before but he kinda knew what was going on…not like he just _knew_ but he figured it out fast. 

Cole liked it, but Bugs Bunny was funnier.

Tires screeched outside. A couple people shouted in anger. Wondering what was going, Cole wandered over to a window to see a man in black clothes looking into his house. Other people were looking at him strangely; that meant he wasn't dead…

The man, couldn't be more than twenty years old, saw Cole through the window and started up the steps that lead to his apartment. Cole gasped. _He's gonna kidnap me!_

Cole turned to run and almost shrieked. The kitchen was…it was…ransacked. Knives everywhere, dishes broken and scattered about on the floor and a broken window…and a person. A boy, crying in the corner. 

"Hello," called Cole, even though he knew he was there. 

The boy looked up and instead of seeing a tearful face, Cole saw solid anger. Anger with the look to kill. "They said you could help me…they SAID!!!" 

Cole gulped. 

The boy slowly rose to his feet. "And you HAVEN'T! You should pay you FREAK!" The boy walked over to a defiant Cole, and knocked him away. Cole flew back into the living room, crashing into one of the chairs. He yelled in pain as he rolled. 

By the time he had stopped rolling and could look around, he was flying through the front door and—BAM! Jakek, who was about to knock on the door, flew back as the boy crashed through the door and onto him. Jakek flew back and hit the sidewalk, his clothes getting hot from the sidewalk and friction. 

The boy, who Jakek thought was Cole, was crying. 

Something busted a window of the house; Jakek saw a dinner plate flying away out of the corner of his eye. "Is your name Cole," Jakek asked as he got to his feet and pulled out two .45 caliber pistols. Cole's nod looked like a hyperventilation. _Good_, Jakek thought. "Let's go; get on my bike." Cole looked at the bike, then back at the house. 

The ghost was coming out, a knife skidding down the steps. The boy had his eyes on his knife, as if he planned on picking it up and using it on Cole. Cole decided on taking the bike. Jakek picked up kid and put him on the bike, got on himself and started the engine. The little kid he was sent to get, Cole screamed. 

And then…something…Jakek frowned. A knife glinted in the sunlight…floating. 

And then it was raised up and as if getting ready to stab someone. No one was there—Jakek frowned but thought fast. He used his left arm and pushed Cole back, away from the bike. Cole fell back onto the road, the knife sinking down and plunging into the motorcycle seat. 

_What the hell?_

Jakek saw it float back out and take aim at him. _Shit!_

Jakek jumped back, pulling up his arms in mid-back-flip as the knife slashed through where his arms just were. Jakek landed on the ground when his cell phone rang. The knife then went back in a sudden movement and—

Jakek sidestepped to his right but wasn't fast enough. The knife was thrown, piercing and going through his left ribs. The knife landed on the street behind Jakek. Cole screamed, "Leave us alone!"

Jakek frowned, clutching his pained ribs that were gushing with blood. The…anomaly…was gone. No more signs that it was even there. 

Through Cole's eyes, the boy walked away. Disgust had covered his face. 

The cell phone rang again and Jakek grabbed for it. His ribs…lot of blood…Jakek collapsed, losing blood so fast that he lost consciousness. Cole looked at his savior's limp body on the street. Other people had gathered around, but were too afraid to go anywhere near the two victims.

The cell phone relentlessly rang. Cole crawled on the ground toward it, his hands shaking, he picked it up and hit the 'Talk' button. "He-e-ell-l-lo?"

For a moment there was no reply, then a man's voice came on the line. "Who is this? Jakek?" Cole glanced at the helpers' body and replied, "He's dead, I think."

"Oh…that's…" The voice was faint, obvious talking to someone else on the other end. Cole caught the words Trinity and Jakek and hurting. Then the man came back. "Alright kid, what's your name?" 

"Cole." 

"_Shit._"

Cole blinked. Even in this time of panic, someone dying next to him…Cole couldn't help it. "You said the s-word."

"Alright, Cole, I'm gonna send someone to help you out, okay? He's gonna be on the same bike that Jakek came on. He will help you out so do what he tells you to, okay?"

Cole gulped, unsure if he could trust these people. He made his decision. "Okay." The man hung up, leaving Cole to deal with the dying man that saved his life, and a crowd of scared on-lookers.

****

Authors Note

Sorry I didn't put the Sixth Sense people in here earlier, but…anyway, starting at the beginning of chapter 4, this story should improve A LOT. Now the real action begins, the real mysteries are solved, and Neo's destiny will begin. But it's NOT what you think.


	4. Distractions

The Sixth Matrix

The Sixth Matrix

**Part 1: Recruits**

Chapter 4

Cole held in his throw-up. Everything was going so fast. The ghost, the people watching, the man that tried to help him…it was insane. Tears poured out of his eyes like a river of fear.

A motorcycle's revved engine came into the background of noise, getting closer very fast. When it stopped, it seemed right next to Cole. "Cole?" Cole whipped around and found another guy, about the same age as the man named Jakek, on a motorcycle looking at him.

"Cole," he asked again as he got off his bike and picked up Jakek. Cole nodded yes. _These people could help. They were friends_, said a voice in his head. Cole thanked God for instinct and asked, "Are you his friend," indicating Jakek.

"Yes. Hurry up and get on the bike, sit in front of me." Cole did as he was told. "My name is Ronin."

Ronin ripped part of Jakek's torn shirt and wrapped it around himself and Jakek, tying them to each other. Ronin got onto the bike and started the engine back up. A cell phone rang; Ronin yanked it out of his trench coat and answered, "Yes?"

Ronin listened for a second and said, "Okay," hung up, then turned to Cole. "Cole? This may seem sudden but, you're gonna have to come with us. We're not trying to kidnap you, we're going to help you, okay?"

Cole nodded; his lower lip shivering. 

Ronin smiled. "Okay. I'm—," Ronin picked up Cole and put him in front of him, Ronin in the middle, Jakek tied to Ronin and sitting on the back of the bike. Sirens could be heard in the distance. Ronin started the bike again and tore down the road, heading for an old warehouse about four miles from where they were.

Cole held on tightly to the bike, sobbing as they sped down the road. 

Neo shook his head. Everything was going wrong. Jakek got attacked, found Cole but got attacked. Ronin was on his way, with Cole and the dying Jakek but cops were also coming. The Matrix was tracing them to their position in the real world. Tank said they had an estimated thirty minutes before all hell would break lose.

They had their station set up, so they could take Cole out of the Matrix…Morpheus was up to something. This whole thing was strange, a last minute premonition that Morpheus had earlier that morning. It was insane.

Cell phone. Neo answered it immediately and Tank's voice came on the line. "We got problems."

"Tell me."

"Ronin has three Agents on his ass and Jakek is already half-dead. Cole is going into shock and their bike just blew." 

"Just what?"

"Just blew. They're only two blocks from you but since Jakek…"

"I'm on it." Neo hung up and turned to Morpheus and said, "I'll be back." Morpheus nodded and continued setting up the 'stage'. 

Neo's estimation of the city's current stability was bad. He glanced up and down the crowded street he was on: the traffic outside was very busy, taxis honking, sirens screaming, people—BAM! Neo flew back several yards and hit a car; hard. "Ooh!"

He started to get to his feet when something yanked him up by his shirt and threw him across the street. "AAA!" He hit a few trashcans but was able to roll to his feet. It happened fast; fast as in, about five seconds. He looked up at the street in front of him, seeing the Matrix's pattern and what it was generated to look like.

An Agent. No, two Agents. _Not good, but not bad. Just a delay._ The nearest Agent was about twenty feet away, walking toward him with a look of pure hatred on his face. If looks could kill. The other Agent was walking down the sidewalk about thirty yards down the sidewalk. 

_Hold on—weren't there three?_

A sudden blow to his back, causing him to fly right into a taxi's car door answered his question. Well, he _almost _hit the car door. Instead, he maneuvered up, thinking quickly, flying past the numbers, not caring if he broke the pattern because they already knew where he was.

Neo flew up and landed on top of a Greyhound bus that was stopped at an intersection. "Come get me," he shouted, noticing Ronin dragging Jakek with a little kid in the corner of his eye. 

Neo saw the Agents say something to each other and then turn and face him. Two walked straight for him in a casual manner, the other obviously heading for the others. _Great. _Now _I've got problems._ Then Neo recognized one of the Agents walking toward him. Agent Smith. The one he had defeated several times in the past…the one with motive for revenge. 

Neo braced himself as the two Agents leaped up onto the opposite end of the bus. "Not this time, Neo. I WON'T work in the ENERGY FIELDS!" Smith leaped at him, Neo dodged by jumping up and flipping over him, and the other Agent dived at Neo, hitting him and pinning him to an imaginary ground in the air.

THUNK! Neo hit the top of the bus, head first. Remember what Morpheus said: _Bend the numbers, use the pattern. You are a virus to the Matrix, an enemy that can destroy ALL of the Matrix. You are a virus. Bend the pattern, the numbers._

Neo's eyes flickered with an image of green numbers floating everywhere, the Matrix, and pictured them bending around him, as if making two solid bodies split in two. Neo blinked and then thought: _BEND!_ Agent Smith doubled over in pain as he was getting up and suddenly, he blew part, as if a C4 bomb exploded inside his stomach. 

Agent Smith was gone.

"Damn," said the Agent pinning Neo. "He's got the energy fields!" The weight suddenly let off of Neo's back as he did the same thing to the Agent pinning him. When he heard what sounded like a child screaming, he looked left and saw Ronin trying to fight the last Agent. He wasn't doing to good.

Neo pushed himself to his feet and flew.

He was exhausting; bending and flying were hard. He aimed at the Agent that was in mid-combat with Ronin and flew into action with a flying sidekick into the Agents' back. The Agent yelled in pain as he broke his back with fast and strong momentum. 

The Agent flew through a window of a store, causing pedestrians along the street and sidewalk to scream. When the Agent hit the floor in the little store the body morphed out of the Agent and turned into a suit-and-tie businessman…a dead one.

Neo immediately looked around for another Agent, to see if they would try again. There weren't any nearby…Neo helped Ronin off the ground and said, "You get Cole, I'll handle Jakek."

Neo picked up Jakek and laid him over his shoulders and around his back. Neo couldn't hear exactly what Ronin was saying to Cole but they had better hurry. The Agents would recover from being killed soon. 

You see, when an Agent is killed, their program is reset. They still have their memories of what happened before they were killed but it takes awhile to relocate their file and then send it to their next 'host'. A host being any human on the street that lives in the Matrix.

In less than a minute, Neo and Ronin were in the old warehouse. Neo walked into the 'stage' for Cole and said, "Jakek needs a phone. Now." 

Morpheus said, "There's one right around the corner in the room on the left," without looking at him. He was focused on Cole. Neo carried Jakek into the other room and found the phone, dialed Tank and said, "Here's Jakek. Bring him back and get Trinity and the others to give him immediate medical attention. He needs it bad."

"Gotcha," replied Tank and Neo put the receiver next to Jakek's ear and in about a second, Jakek was out of the Matrix. 

When Neo returned to the stage, Ronin was hooking up more equipment. Neo walked over beside Ronin and whispered, "What's going on?" Ronin replied without looking at him, "Morpheus is talking to Cole right now, but it doesn't look good. Cole is in shock and Morpheus isn't sure if Cole's answer should be counted. Morpheus is considering trying again some other time."

That just about blew it. "What do you mean 'some other time'? The Matrix is activating their new tracer program in—," Neo looked at his watch, "—about ten freaking minutes. If we don't start the download—," Neo was cut off by Morpheus, whom had quietly walked into the room with Cole at his side.

"Neo. Calm down." Morpheus's words were sluggish and hesitant. As if something was…distracting him and he wasn't focused. It wasn't like Morpheus. "Cole, that chair right there." Morpheus pointed and Cole went to sit down.

The child walked like zombie, only looking at his destination and walked there…he was definitely in shock. A cell phone rang and Morpheus answered, "Yes?"

"…Okay…done." Morpheus put the phone back and informed them of what was going on. "Frain is back home; she saw the Oracle without any incidents. Tank has got Cole's position in the real world and is on his way there." Morpheus turned to Cole. "Focus…don't be scared. Okay?"

Cole made a silent gulp and nodded.

Morpheus smiled, turned and dialed a number on the cell phone…, "Okay, Tank? We're coming back as soon as you have Cole. Done? Good." Cole suddenly started shaking and then his body began to dissolve and was gone a few seconds later. "There's a phone on the other side of this building. Let's get there and get out of here."

In a few minutes, they reached the phone and Jakek went first. His bleeding body turned into a database design and then got sucked into the phone. Morpheus went next. Then Ronin…Neo sighed as he picked up the phone. Another day of hard work… He picked up the phone, put it to his ear and everything went black…

A few seconds later he opened his eyes to Trinity rushing by him, carrying Jakek toward the Med. Room. Morpheus was talking to the kid named Cole whose eyes were darting back in forth in obvious fear. Ronin was leaving the room and Frain, whom had gone back awhile ago, was watching Zone and Tank look at the Matrix.

Neo knew better than to walk over and say hi to Cole. The kid was in shock when they brought him to reality and was know doubt panicked…but judging from the kid's background and how he handled that…thing that happened earlier, he would understand everything sooner than anyone had.

Neo got up and walked down to the Med. Room. He was hungry for some affection after all the action…instead; he got a high-strung Trinity who shooed him out when he got down there. Exhausted from the bending and flying that he had done in the Matrix, Neo went to his room, collapsed on the bed and closed his eyes…

Malcolm Crowe continued walking down the streets toward Cole's home. It was Saturday so he should be home, if he wasn't at the church…hopefully he was okay.

He had told him that the ghosts had been…violent… Hopefully he'd be okay; Cole could make it. He always had help from people that knew what they were doing…himself, Crowe, his mother…certain ghosts…it was no doubt that Cole was haunted.

He had a sixth sense. A God-given gift…but it wasn't exactly a miracle. He could see the dead, the unseen, the still-living but dead people that were haunted themselves by their past and their death…it was very sad…

_But I helped him get past the horror and see the truth in his gift_, Crowe thought proudly. He turned onto the street and immediately noticed the glass on the ground around the stairs that led into Cole's home. His mother, Lynn Sear, was crying on the porch, saying something he couldn't make out. 

Malcolm's pace increased and when he reached Lynn, he asked, "What happened here?" Then he grimaced…after being dead for a year and two months, he still talked to the living, the people that couldn't answer…like his wife…

Malcolm stepped into the house through the already open door. The place was ransacked, shards of glass broken all over the floor and chairs were overturned and, when Crowe entered the kitchen, the cupboards had been _ripped off the walls._ Malcolm immediately knew what ghost did this. 

Cole had been trying to help him for weeks, but the boy only tried to kill him over and over again…looks like he…might've succeeded. Hopefully Cole was okay… Somehow, tears formed in Malcolm's eyes and he tried to blink them away but couldn't…

Cole was the only person that kept his sane. The only person that helped him see the truth too…that _awakened_ him…if Cole was dead then he couldn't live…live dead anymore. His life would be over and he would be stuck watching his wife date another man and watch his wife live her life…a life that he should've lived with her…and was, but she didn't know it and it wasn't the same.

Wasn't the same at all.

Crowe walked out of the house and sat next Lynn, hoping that she would voice her painful thoughts. If she did, and probably would eventually, she would most likely say something that Crowe would be able to piece together.

He sat next to her as she cried for minutes. 

The minutes slowly turned into hours when she suddenly looked up at the sky and said, "At least I didn't see the body…at least—," she started sobbing again.

Crowe, knowing from experience, that she wouldn't be able to say anything else without crying so hard he would be able to make it out. 

"At least I didn't see the body," she had said. Malcolm slowly realized that the body hadn't been there when she came home from work. It had to have happened yesterday since this was morning…the body hadn't been found so there was some chance that Cole was hiding in sanctuary. Some chance.

Malcolm left Lynn Sear crying on her doorsteps and he walked south, toward the monastery. On his way, he passed many people and a thought struck him. _If I only see what I want to then why can't **I **see the dead._ He stopped walking and someone walked right through him. About fifteen people were scattered about on the sidewalk.

He closed his eyes and thought, _I want to see the dead. And if they want help, I am help._ Slowly, he opened his eyes and instead of seeing the fifteen people on the sidewalk, he saw about thirty to thirty-five. About half of them had obvious fatal wounds, the blood unmoving from the various wounds, the flesh visible but unnoticed by the people who had the wounds. 

He had opened his eyes into hell. 

There were ghosts everywhere, just like Cole said. They were all around him, sitting on sidewalks and—he noticed one ghost looking around. A young girl with half her head dented one way; her right arm and leg broken. It wasn't the sight of the blood, the insides that disturbed Malcolm…it was how the ghosts didn't even notice that they had broken arms and gunshot wounds. 

_And I thought that Cole couldn't handle it…Cole is unbelievably strong!_ _To see this and still stay sane! It's almost impossible_…Malcolm restarted his walk toward the monastery. No doubt that he had to find Cole and tell him that they could work together…not with Cole just seeing…but with Malcolm's help with dealing with the ghosts. 

Now Cole could really help them. The undead. 

_Now **I** can…_

Is it really true? Could it possibly be? If so, how? If not, then is this a dream? 

Cole was lying in his bed. He was alone in his new room aboard the Neb. And Morpheus's explanation of this 'Matrix' was impossible. How could there be a fake world built my machines that took over the earth years and years ago? It sounded more like the movie Terminator than anything else did. 

But even though Cole denied it, deep down he knew it was right. And even though he knew Morpheus was right, greater mysteries were trapped in his head. _I see dead people._ How did I see them if they were not even real? Am I insane? No…Dr. Malcolm is dead and only I could see him. The ghosts were real; well, _real_ in the Matrix sense. 

So how did I see ghosts, Cole thought. And _why_ did I see ghosts. It couldn't have been a gift…

"Cole."

Cole jumped, the deep voice scaring him. He turned on his side to see Morpheus standing in the doorway. "Oh…" Morpheus seemed to study him, his eyes seemed to be looking for something deeper than what was on the outside…, "Sorry if I awoke you, Cole. But there is something I need to discuss with you…"

Cole sat up and watched as Morpheus took a seat nearby. "I believe that you are—special—with the Matrix. You do understand the matrix right? What it is?" Cole nodded. "Good. We've been watching you for quite sometime but…we've noticed several glitches in the Matrix. They occur everywhere but…you seem to see them and you either run from them or you talk to them."

Cole blinked. _Is he talking about…the ghosts?_

Morpheus continued. "Somehow you see these problems and you fix them…only you're not a machine. You are a human." Morpheus leaned forward and said, "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Cole, not knowing what to expect, shook his head 'no' fearfully. 

Morpheus sat back. "In that case, we'll wait. Get some rest Cole. You have several procedures to undergo before you can actually be able to walk around the ship…" Morpheus left the room and Cole lay back down…_procedures? What does that mean?_

Cole gripped his pillow and hoped that everything would be alright…

"Damn it! What the hell is your problem?! You've got to be careful when doing these operations."

The voice sounded familiar and Cole opened his eyes and—almost screamed. Needles were jabbed into his chest and all over his body. He felt weak—he tried to scream but he couldn't even move his jaw…he could only hear and see. 

Somebody, a woman, noticed that he had awakened. "It's okay Cole. We'll explain everything when you can…" The voice seemed to fade away and his eyes began to close…Cole's brain shut down as the acupuncture process continued…

Cole awoke in his 'room'. He turned and grimaced; his whole body was sore from the acupuncture. But he felt better than when he had awakened. His bed felt comfortable and he felt like his arms were—bigger. His muscles a little better. But he still felt different than how he felt in the Matrix. 

Yes. The Matrix. The mystery, the confusing alternative reality that he couldn't comprehend. That he had lived in all his life. The lie. So was Morpheus telling the truth about who and what we were? Yes. Cole knew now, after the several times he had slept, touched, experienced things in the real world that the Matrix was the Matrix.

That Morpheus, the fabled hacker, was a leader in a war against machines.

_Why me?_ The thought raced through his mind. _Why me? I'm a kid, not an adult like Morpheus or the others…_ But he knew, in the back of his head that the thought was wrong. There was also Frain, the girl, Zone, the guy with Tank. Jakek and Ronin…Cole sat up.

_Jakek and Ronin risked their lives for me…and what have I done for them? Not to mention that Jakek was really hurt when the ghost tore him up…_ Cole stood up. He had to see Jakek, to thank him. Jakek and Ronin. Were they just brought out of the Matrix too?

It seemed like only Neo, the 'one' Morpheus mentioned, Morpheus and all the other adults knew what they were doing. It looked like the others were just doing what they said…, "But how do they get in and out of the Matrix," Cole thought out loud. 

"Because they have faith in _me_," came a voice from the door, startling Cole. Cole looked up to see Morpheus standing in the doorway, the door open. "Jakek and Ronin only wish to free mankind and be alone. And they, like most of the people on the Neb, have accepted me as their leader. Unfortunately, some haven't and probably never will."

Frain came to Cole's mind. She was pretty but also had that rebellious face underneath the happy smiles and hugs. No doubt there were a few others too. 

"Cole. I must say that we brought you fast. The Matrix is confusing and you have to be there to understand it but I ask you this. Anything that Neo says, does, or tells you to do, do it. You must trust him more than anything or anyone ever."

Cole wasn't listening. "What about my mom?"

Morpheus looked down at the ground, then slowly raised his head back up. "You can't see her. She's gone a part of the past. A fake, a lie. But she did care for you, and that's important. She—when we win back our freedom—will meet you once more and…"

Cole didn't listen to the rest. Morpheus was too strange, a little too weird. He seemed to have a hidden energy just waiting to be released inside of him. Judging by the way the others acted around him since Cole had met him, Morpheus had changed on the morning that he had taken Cole to the real world. 

No doubt a few people aboard the Neb wouldn't appreciate that Cole's presence…

"So what're we gonna do?"

Morpheus sighed. "I don't know." A few seconds later he added, "I _do_ know that I may have made a mistake. Or at least the Oracle did."

Tank looked at the ground. "I was watching the Matrix last night. The AI have put up the new program. We now have limited time in the Matrix. Judging by how it's tracked down other groups fighting them, we've got a time frame of only three hours."

Morpheus shook his head. "This doesn't help but—," he leaned forward, that determined look crossing his face, "—we will win. The Matrix can't help us forever. I just fear that I've made a deadly mistake that could cost our race."

Tank shook his head no. "You didn't. It's always possible that the Oracle was wrong or—''

Morpheus cut him off. "No. I think I did. The Oracle has always been right. I haven't and never will be."

Tank said, "Nobody's perfect. Nobody can be." He added with hesitance, "That includes the Oracle."

Morpheus stood up on that and almost glared at Tank. "What do you think? Should we start training Cole with the others or let him settle in. He may be our—''

"Wake up Morpheus!" Tank frowned, frustration clouding his eyebrows. "Has it ever occurred to you that there might, just _might_, be two—''

"NO!" Morpheus, this time, was literally yelling at him. "I've made a mistake! Not the Oracle. Not anybody else. Just _ME_!" Morpheus stormed out of the room leaving Tank alone to think. 

_So what exactly have you done Morpheus?_ The question, along with others, flashed in and out of Tank's head. _Shit_, concluded Tank. _Only once before has Morpheus ever yelled at anybody. And that was when Trinity had been wounded, I was temporarily blind and Mouse was sick with regitimus_. 

Tank put his head in his hands.

_It's going to happen soon._

The very thought scared him…but at the same time filled him with a kind of peacefulness. It was hard to explain. That he would be living and fighting in what the Oracle prophesized to be the 'First of the End Times'. It was a scary thought; mainly because millions were to die in order to free the other billions. Hopefully everything would work out like the Oracle said…but what if she was wrong about Frain. _And_ Cole. 

Could it be? The Oracle… Tank sighed. The end was getting closer and was probably much closer than anyone thought…

Frain stared at the ceiling. The Oracle…a kind woman. She could bake and she could talk but…could what she say be true? She did seem a little confused when she said it but did that mean she was lying or anything like that? No. It didn't. Frain closed her eyes tight, the Oracle's words piercing through her mind over and over…

"_You and two others are alike. You will change not only the Matrix, but the whole real world._" 


End file.
